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Friday, June 13, 2008

At least that's how I feel when I write. Some may write to puff themselves up and point the finger at others, but that's not me. When I write, I write to myself. If you read anything of mine and experience anything from it, know that it affects me more so. Often, my heart is broken in the process. During my research and preparation, I can find myself exhilarated by God's great truths given to us in his word, but then my heart is convicted while I begin to see how much I fail and fall short of God's Glory. How can I exhort others to surrender all to our Savior and walk in faith and obedience towards him when I fail so miserably myself? These thoughts haunt me and keep me from doing more.

One passage I often read for comfort concerning these fears is II Corinthians 4:5-7.

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not us".

We have this great message, this glorious truth, this treasure in earthen vessels. This beautiful gift contained in a plain brown wrapper! God in his marvelous wisdom designed it this way so that the power and authority comes from him, and not us. This is so all the glory belongs to the message and not the messenger. Any thing we do in service to the King we accomplish in his strength. God doesn’t depend on the strong, he works through the obedient. God doesn’t reject the weak, he empowers the faithful. The beautiful truth I find here is that my ability to serve God doesn’t rest in my ability. God knows full and well that I can do nothing right on my own. To attempt to do any task, I must first trust in the strength of my God. John 15:5 expresses this need to rely on Christ for all things.

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

I am an earthen vessel. A dirty, clay pot always on the verge of breaking, yet when I abide in Christ and do his will, in his strength, all my limitations and frailties can be overcame to bring glory to God. Even though I have faults and weaknesses I remember that his grace is greater than all my sin.

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not us".

Disclaimer

Living Hope, a blog by Brandon Lehr, featuring various ramblings and going-ons of a Christian struggling to live while plagued with confusion.

All content here in is most likely wrong or misguided and should not be copied by anyone. If sharing is so desired, please direct fellow readers to the source of said materials, so that the offended and or amused party may know the perpetrator of such outlandish folly.